Prayer Needs

Prayer needs:
+To be content in all things
+Finances for wedding and Africa trip and monthly support
+Direction for life after marriage
+Peace in relationships
+Unity in decision making for wedding
+Preparation for what it means to be a godly husband/wife
+Grace during Performing Arts Camp (see below)
+To trust and believe God for His word
+Against fear of man to plan our wedding the way we want vs. want tradition and culture has made it


Next two weeks...
We will be involved in a Performing Arts Camp. The heart behind this camp is to engage kids in the arts and expose them to the Gospel. It will be targeting on flood ravaged areas to give the kids a bright spot in their summer. The will be learning show tune type songs and dance moves. Pray for opportunity to speak into the lives of the participants and their families. There will be all kinds of religions there. Tara will be working with the kids ages 4-6. DeWayne will be on security.

Field of Promises

We are engaged! The day started with a town picnic in Adams with the locals and we stopped at some yard sales on the way to Nashville. In Nashville we walked around the Green Hills Mall. We had an early dinner at Carrabba's Italian Grill. At night we went to the fireworks by the river in Clarksville. The night ended with a proposal at the YWAM campus. Now we will tell the story from our perspectives.

DeWayne's Point of View
I found the ring a while back and thought that I would never be ale to buy it because it was pricey. However, I also did not feel that the Lord was wanting me to ask for money, so i just prayed. The whole time Tara was worried I wouldn't have a ring and finally God settled in her heart that it doesn't matter if she gets a really expensive ring. I've joked around using paper clips, key rings, a blade of grass, scissor handle, etc...which didn't help her anxiety. About the same time she let go of the desire for a nice ring God dropped the dough on from what seems out of nowhere. So I gave the money so they could start making it and it took 3-4 weeks before I got it. The night of the proposal came after a day of quality time. I took her to the base where I felt God wanted me to ask her. I was thinking anywhere was fine that day because it was special, but God let me know that the best place was at the swings and in the Field of Promises.
The swings is the place Tara and I first spent time together and also the place that I hinted to her that I liked her before we dated. The night we talked was a warm night in December and I was constantly seeing shooting stars... The Field of Promises, as I called it when I proposed, is a field at base, out in the country, where there isnt much light. This field is special because one night Tara and I went for a walk and stopped there and enjoyed the view. As we were there it started sprinkling and I told her that I loved her for the first time. The rain was God speaking, confirming our relationship to Tara.
Arriving at the base I asked her to follow me. I reminded her of the time in the parking lot where we had encouragment from God about our heart for Africa. We walked down to the swings to remenice and then we walked over to the field and I expressed my feeling to her and how special she is to me, and there in the tall grass under the stars I kneeled down and asked her to marry me. The Field of Promises!

Tara's Point of View

The Lord has been working on my heart for months about trusting that DeWayne is hearing from the Lord with the timing of the engagement. It's so hard to let it go and not be in control. We both already knew we were supposed to be married from the beginning and to walk in patience and self control with His timing has been a challenge.

Yesterday I walked throughout the day with nervousness and anticipation. I'm pretty good at picking up on surprises and since he made the whole day so special, I figured something was up, and was hoping this would be the day! I had a nervous giggle and a shyness about myself the whole day, not wanting to walk in expectation but learning to be content with when and how it would happend and where it would happen.

At the restaurant I was thinking "Will he propose here?!" it was a fancy restaurant, friendly, beautiful environment with amazing foods, but i figured he'd know better than to propose to me in a restaurant ;) Next was the fireworks, very nice- was kind of suspicious when he kept looking at me telling me he loved me and getting teary eyed (not that unusual but i had my questions!) From the fireworks to the base I saw a outlined box in his pant pocket. I accidentally asked, "What's that box?!" he distracted me, sneaky!

We arrived at the base and as you read above from the parking lot to the swings was very special. Once we walked to the field I was getting my hopes up. The field was a special place for us. He told me he loved me in german in the beginning of our relationship. Also it was a misty night back then and the Lord used the rain to remind me of something I did out of faith for this relationship even before we were dating. A friend of mine said "What you did reminded me of the parable from the movie Faith Like Potatoes" --Basically there are two farmers. One plants his seeds in PREPARATION for the rain, the other waits. That night as it started to rain the Lord said, "The rain has come" ...meaning, we were entering into a new season for our relationship and the Lords faithfulness was so clear, it was another confirmation of being together. This place was special to me, and I was honored DeWayne chose this spot.

He poured out his love for me, complimenting me and sharing with me areas of faithfulness in my life that has inspired him. He also shared about how there are moments with Gods beauty that takes his breath away, and how when he thinks of me, he gets a similiar feeling. The rest of the words remain between us and God. He got down on his knee and asked, "Tara Elizabeth, will you marry me?" and I said YES:) He said, "Babe, look at how God provided!" as he opened the ring case. It was the ring he had picked out that i loved. God IS faithful!